American library books ยป Fiction ยป Paul Prescott's Charge by Jr. Horatio Alger (best fiction novels to read TXT) ๐Ÿ“•

Read book online ยซPaul Prescott's Charge by Jr. Horatio Alger (best fiction novels to read TXT) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   Jr. Horatio Alger



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establishment she had become a part. She had left, however, a child, who had now grown to be a boy of twelve. This boy was a thorn in the side of his father, who had endeavored in vain to mould him according to his idea of propriety. But Ben was gifted with a spirit of fun, sometimes running into mischief, which was constantly bursting out in new directions, in spite of his father's numerous and rather prosy lectures.

โ€œHan-nah!โ€ again called Squire Newcome, separating the two syllables by a pause of deliberation, and strongly accenting the last syllable,โ€”a habit of his with all proper names.

Hannah was the Irish servant of all work, who was just then engaged in mixing up bread in the room adjoining, which was the kitchen.

Feeling a natural reluctance to appear before her employer with her hands covered with dough, she hastily washed them. All this, however, took time, and before she responded to the first summons, the second โ€œHan-nah!โ€ delivered with a little sharp emphasis, had been uttered.

At length she appeared at the door of the sitting-room.

โ€œHan-nah!โ€ said Squire Newcome, fixing his cold gray eye upon her, โ€œwhen you hear my voice a calling you, it is your duty to answer the summons IMMEJIATELY.โ€

I have endeavored to represent the Squire's pronunciation of the last word.

โ€œSo I would have come IMMEJOUSLY,โ€ said Hannah, displaying a most reprehensible ignorance, โ€œbut me hands were all covered with flour.โ€

โ€œThat makes no difference,โ€ interrupted the Squire. โ€œFlour is an accidental circumstance.โ€

โ€œWhat's that?โ€ thought Hannah, opening her eyes in amazement.

โ€œAnd should not be allowed to interpose an obstacle to an IMMEJIATE answer to my summons.โ€

โ€œSir,โ€ said Hannah, who guessed at the meaning though she did not understand the words, โ€œyou wouldn't have me dirty the door-handle with me doughy hands?โ€

โ€œThat could easily be remedied by ablution.โ€

โ€œThere ain't any ablution in the house,โ€ said the mystified Hannah.

โ€œI mean,โ€ Squire Newcome condescended to explain, โ€œthe application of waterโ€”in short, washing.โ€

โ€œShure,โ€ said Hannah, as light broke in upon her mind, โ€œI never knew that was what they called it before.โ€

โ€œIs Ben-ja-min at home?โ€

โ€œYes, sir. He was out playin' in the yard a minute ago. I guess you can see him from the winder.โ€

So saying she stepped forward, and looking out, all at once gave a shrill scream, and rushed from the room, leaving her employer in his bolt-upright attitude gazing after her with as much astonishment as he was capable of.

The cause of her sudden exit was revealed on looking out of the window.

Master Benjamin, or Ben, as he was called everywhere except in his own family, had got possession of the black kitten, and appeared to be submerging her in the hogshead of rainwater.

โ€œO, you wicked, cruel boy, to drown poor Kitty!โ€ exclaimed the indignant Hannah, rushing into the yard and endeavoring to snatch her feline favoriteโ€”an attempt which Ben stoutly resisted.

Doubtless the poor kitten would have fared badly between the two, had not the window opened, and the deliberate voice of his father, called out in tones which Ben saw fit to heed.

โ€œWhat?โ€

โ€œCome into my presence immejiately, and learn to answer me with more respect.โ€

Ben came in looking half defiant.

His father, whose perpendicularity made him look like a sitting grenadier, commenced the examination thus:โ€”

โ€œI wish you to inform me what you was a doing of when I spoke to you.โ€

It will be observed that the Squire's dignified utterances were sometimes a little at variance with the rule of the best modern grammarians.

โ€œI was trying to prevent Hannah from taking the kitten,โ€ said Ben.

โ€œWhat was you a doing of before Hannah went out?โ€

โ€œPlaying with Kitty.โ€

โ€œWhy were you standing near the hogshead, Benjamin?โ€

โ€œWhy,โ€ said Ben, ingenuously, โ€œthe hogshead happened to be near meโ€”that was all.โ€

โ€œWere you not trying to drown the kitten?โ€

โ€œO, I wouldn't drown her for anything,โ€ said Ben with an injured expression, mentally adding, โ€œshort of a three-cent piece.โ€

โ€œThen, to repeat my interrogatory, what was you a doing of with the kitten in the hogshead?โ€

โ€œI was teaching her to swim,โ€ said Ben, looking out of the corner of his eye at his father, to see what impression this explanation made upon him.

โ€œAnd what advantageous result do you think would be brought about by teaching of the kitten to swim, Benjamin?โ€ persisted his father.

โ€œAdvantageous result!โ€ repeated Ben, demurely, pretending not to understand.

โ€œCertingly.โ€

โ€œWhat does that mean?โ€

โ€œDo you not study your dictionary at school, Benjamin?โ€

โ€œYes, but I don't like it much.โ€

โ€œYou are very much in error. You will never learn to employ your tongue with elegance and precision, unless you engage in this beneficial study.โ€

โ€œI can use my tongue well enough, without studying grammar,โ€ said Ben. He proceeded to illustrate the truth of this assertion by twisting his tongue about in a comical manner.

โ€œTongue,โ€ exclaimed his father, โ€œis but another name for language I mean your native language.โ€

โ€œOh!โ€

Ben was about to leave the room to avoid further questions of an embarrassing nature, when his father interrupted his exit by sayingโ€”

โ€œStay, Benjamin, do not withdraw till I have made all the inquiries which I intend.โ€

The boy unwillingly returned.

โ€œYou have not answered my question.โ€

โ€œI've forgotten what it was.โ€

โ€œWhat good would it do?โ€ asked the Squire, simplifying his speech to reach Ben's comprehension, โ€œwhat good would it do to teach the kitten to swim?โ€

โ€œO, I thought,โ€ said Ben, hesitating, โ€œthat some time or other she might happen to fall into the water, and might not be able to get out unless she knew how.โ€

โ€œI think,โ€ said his father with an unusual display of sagacity, โ€œthat she will be in much greater hazard of drowning while learning to swim under your direction than by any other chance likely to befall her.โ€

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